


Sweet Poet; Loving Songbird

by Ivegotaheadlineforyou



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Cold Feet, F/M, First Dance, Fluff, Hand fasting, Wedding, our lovers are finally tying the knot, pre wedding jitters, this is disgustingly fluffy im just warning you now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-23 04:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19143184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivegotaheadlineforyou/pseuds/Ivegotaheadlineforyou
Summary: “I couldn’t think about anything besides how much I wanted to hold you. That was all I wanted.”“It’s all I wanted too. And it scared me more than anything.”“Do I still scare you?”“Yes.”***Orpheus and Eurydice finally tie the knot.





	Sweet Poet; Loving Songbird

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Jo for putting up with my screaming on tumblr about this and giving me such good feedback.  
> Workers/Patrons are semi-based on the HCs on tumblr that use the names of the actors.
> 
> Hadestown belongs to Anaïs Mitchell, gods bless her soul.

“When are we going to get married?” Orpheus asked one night as they laid out on an old quilt under the stars. Spring had just arrived a few days prior, with her bag full of sunshine and a warm breeze at her back — they were relishing in the warm nights that they had missed so much. Eurydice’s hair was wild, laid out beneath them and his shirt was open, as their fingers danced over one anothers between them. 

This was a conversation they had had many times before. Orpheus had been clear that he wanted to marry her — to have her and to be had by her — from the very beginning. And Eurydice wanted that too. She wanted to belong to someone in that kind of way, to have someone belong to her. But something was holding her back.

“One day,” she breathed out, squeezing two of his fingers before continuing their dance. “I promise, one day.” Eurydice was good at surviving, and good at putting herself first. She never saw herself as the kind of person who would care about weddings, or marriages, or families. She had never stuck around long enough to find someone she cared enough to want that with. But Orpheus had changed the game for her. Eurydice wasn’t a casual person — she was a one-and-done kind of girl, and Orpheus was it for her. And she just didn’t want him to regret it.

“Would a proper proposal help move that timeline along?” He asked, a smile in his voice.

She hummed her approval, a smile on her face as well. She thought back to the day they met ( _ “Come home with me?” “Who are you?” “The man that’s gonna marry you.” _ ) and shook her head minutely. “No, I liked your first one,” she said in response, turning her head to look at him. He turned and looked at her, his cheek resting on the quilt they were lying on.

“Mister Hermes told me not to come on too strong,” he confessed, a blush rising on his cheeks. Eurydice grinned and squeezed his fingers before linking them together, finding purchase in his grip. “But I just saw you, and I couldn’t help myself.”

“I was so mean to you,” she said back to him, remembering her mixed feelings of attraction and annoyance when he first introduced himself — when he first invited her home. “I laughed at you.”

He laughed and she smiled at him. “You were just defensive. So collected, so cool,” he said, looking back up at the sky. “I just… I don’t know what came over me. I couldn’t think about anything besides how much I wanted to hold you. That was all I wanted. Still is.” In his voice she could hear a ringing of certainty. Orpheus was a lot of things, but always, he was honest. He couldn’t bear not telling the truth, or saying things the exact way that they needed to be said. 

“It’s all I wanted too,” she said, her eyes still trained on his profile. “And it scared me more than anything.”

“Do I still scare you?” He asked with a grin, thinking that his question was no more than a joke.

“Yes.”

He turned to look at her, but she averted her eyes and looked up at the stars. He squeezed her fingers, but stayed quiet, a look of anxious confusion clouding his gaze.

“You still terrify me,” she said to the sky. “The love I have for you. The lengths that I would go for you. The fact that every time I look in your eyes I lose myself in them. The fact that you changed my thinking from ‘me’ to ‘us’. I spent so much time alone, and you, you with your big heart, you who took a chance on me and have so much love to give, scare me to no end.”

His heart clenched as she spoke and he gripped her hand, running his fingers over the back of her hand. He didn’t know what to say to her — he never meant to come off as too intense, never wanted to give her anything but happiness. He never meant to scare her. He watched her, not knowing what to say, before she closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

“It’s why I keep putting off the idea of getting married,” she said in a rush. She turned her head to him, and with eyes swirling with vulnerability and courage, she looked right at him. “I’ve never been more scared of anything before.”

He couldn’t stand the slight distance between them in that moment, needed to hold her. “Come ‘ere,” he whispered, and she rolled into his arms and rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers. She could hear his heart beating a mile a minute and could feel the slight tremble in his fingers as he ran his hands up and down her back. 

“It’s got nothing to do with you,” she tried to backtrack, not wanted him to feel like she was scared of him — gods, who could ever be scared of Orpheus? She could feel him take a breath, and she knew he was going to say something but she shook her head and interrupted.

“Don’t apologise,” she said, and the apology on his lips froze. “It’s not you, Orpheus. It’s me. I just don’t want you to make a mistake — you are better than me in every way, and I just,” she paused to let out a cynical laugh, “I just don’t get why you’re still here.”

Orpheus couldn’t believe what she was saying, couldn’t believe that he had never picked up on these fears, on these doubts. They had been through so much and had let each other down in so many ways, but they had also helped each other through so much. They had fallen in love over and over again, and chose each other over again, and yet the fear that Eurydice spoke of tugged on a tightly tuned string in his gut. He knew that feeling too.

“Please say something,” she whispered in a small voice.

“I’m just as scared as you are,” he responded. 

His breath hitched a little as he searched for the words. “I’m scared too. I’m scared that one day you’re going to see me for who I am — just some poor boy with a lyre and some pretty words — and realise that you can do better. You’re going to look at me and think, ‘who does he think he is?’ and leave without looking back. I’m so scared that I’m not going to be enough.”

He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he tried to calm himself, before these thoughts and fears took over and sent him into a full blown panic. “And then I look into your eyes,” he said, “and I can feel that as long as you’re beside me, everything is going to be alright. As long as you’re there, things can never be that bad.”

She moved, leaning on one elbow so that she was looking down at him, and he could see the tracks that tears had left on her cheeks. She reached out her hand to cup his cheek, and he placed a hand on top of hers. He could see that her eyes were damp and shining. “Look at us,” she said with a small laugh, and Orpheus smiled, tears falling down the side of his face. “Gods, look at us. So in love with one another and so scared to not be enough.”

He reached up to brush her hair behind her ears. “Eurydice?” he asked, his voice on the brink of cracking open, and spilling ever fear and worry and hope into the world. He spoke her name like a prayer, like a spell. As if her name itself held a kind of implicit magic.

“Yes, my love?” She responded, tears falling from her eyes. She wanted to close her eyes, tilt her head to the skies and pray for him to ask her. She knows she said she didn’t want him to ask again, but  _ please _ she thought.  _ Let him ask just once more and I won’t let him down _ .

“Will you marry me?” And across his face shot pain and hope. His eyes filled with certainty and the slightest tinge of fear that he just couldn’t quell, and her heart flooded with the warmest feeling that this moment was the sign she was looking for. This feeling in her heart was a sign from whatever gods were listening, that this boy wasn’t going anywhere without her.

“Yes,” she choked out as her throat closed up, as tears continued to fall and she nodded her head. She fell into his arms again and he wrapped her up tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed kisses to the side of his face. 

He let out a breathy laugh as his face visibly softened. He let himself smile with a sense of unabashed joy as he felt the tension seep out of his shoulders. They held each other tight, afraid that by letting go they would allow doubt to creep between them, so they fought for purchase on each other. Eurydice was practically laying on top of him, her elbows hitched over his shoulders as her hands were tangled in his hair. Orpheus had one arm slung over her waist, the other resting on her back, his hand pressed to the space between her shoulder blades.

She didn’t feel scared, like she thought she would. He had proposed to her before, and every other time she had accepted, but this time felt different. It felt like a reality — like she was actually going to get to marry her poet, and not just as if they had agreed on a mutual dream. This felt almost as tangible as having a ring on her hand. She could feel a weight settle across her chest but it wasn’t suffocating like she thought it would be. It felt like a warm blanket, like the weight of his heart. She felt grounded, not trapped. 

Orpheus relished in the feeling of Eurydice holding him, of Eurydice saying yes to him, of her choosing him again and again no matter how anxious he got, no matter how scared he was that he was never going to be enough for her. He took a moment to truly marvel at the feeling of her heart beating against his, of her hands in his hair, and her skin under his hands. 

“Orpheus,” she whispered against his neck, after a long silence between the two of them.

“Yes, my love?” He responded quietly, a smile creeping across his face.

He could feel her smile widen against his neck as she spoke, “I can’t wait to be your wife.”

 

* * *

 

“What was your wedding like?” Orpheus asked Persephone one night in the bar. Eurydice, who worked with him now, was over clearing a table, while he wiped down some glasses.

Persephone half snorted into her wine glass. “Not what anyone was expecting, I can tell you that much.” Orpheus laughed, and she continued. 

“We eloped. Had to. My mother wouldn’t have given me away even if I had begged. Hades stole me away to the underworld,” She said with a grin on her face, playing into what Orpheus knew was nothing more than a folk tale. 

“Do you wish you had had a proper wedding?” She laughed outright at that, before taking another sip of wine.

“Not at all. It would have had to be on Olympus, and you know how I can’t stand all that family bullshit,” she said with a sneer on her face. After a moment, her eyes thinned and she looked at Orpheus with a grin on her face. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” he said far too quickly, turning away from her to grab another glass to polish. His eyes were wider than usual, and she knew she had caught him — that boy couldn’t keep a secret from her if his life depended upon it. She reached across the bar and grabbed hold of his sleeve.

“What aren’t you tellin’ me, boy?” She said, watching his eyes flit around the room, until they softened just slightly. She didn’t need to look to know who he was looking at. Persephone grinned even wider and bit her lip.

“You finally ask that girl properly?” She asked, having heard the tale of Orpheus’ original ‘proposal’ from Hermes. She had snorted at hearing the Poet’s lack of decorum, but her heart also warmed.

Orpheus didn’t meet her eyes, but he looked down and nodded, a big smile creeping across his face. “We’re gonna get married, Seph.” 

“About time if you ask me,” she said, a warm smile on her face as she squeezed his arm. “You two love each other something fierce, it’s a shocker you’re not already married.”

He chuckled and nodded, his eyes shifting back to watch Eurydice wipe down a table. “That’s what I said. But we figured it all out — now we just gotta figure out all the details.”

Persephone brushed off that comment with a short  _ pft,  _ brushing him away with a hand. As if she’d let the two lovers fret over planning something like this. It was the least she could do. Plus, Persephone _knew_ how to throw a party. “Let it to me, Orpheus. I’ll take care of everything.”

“What are you taking care of?” Eurydice asked. She’d crossed the bar and found herself back behind the bar, an arm sliding around Orpheus’ waist. Instead of receiving an answer like she hoped for, Persephone simply winked at her.

“I’d like to make a toast!” She said, as she climbed up on the bar, holding her glass high. Eurydice laughed, still confused. 

“And what are we toasting?”

“Ah!” she responded, leaning down to tap the young girls nose, eliciting a laugh from Orpheus. “Not a what, Songbird, but a who. To you, and your poet.” She stood back up and lifted her glass towards the rest of the patrons of the bar. It was them that had sat here and been served by the lovers, who had watched them meet and fall in love. Who had sat and worried when one, and then two of them disappeared to the underground. It was them who welcomed them back with open arms, giving them scraps of whatever they had, anything to help. 

Both Eurydice and Orpheus felt blushes creep up onto their face, but Orpheus just removed himself from her side, going to quickly pour some wine into tin cups. 

“To Orpheus, and Eurydice,” Persephone said, raising her cup a little higher. “Who are finally gettin’ hitched!” The bar rang out with cheers, whistles, and sounds of encouragement, people shouting  _ here, here! _ at the couple, raising their cups to them. Orpheus raised his cup in Eurydice’s direction, and she raised hers right back at him, clinking their cups, before they both downed their wine. Everyone in the bar followed suit, toasting to the lovers who had set the world right again. It was them who had proved that love could conquer death. The underworld did not fall for a song, but for love — it fell because it realised without love, it had nothing holding it together.

Orpheus put his cup down and wrapped his arms around Eurydice, lifting her up into the air and spinning her around. She tossed her head back and laughed carelessly, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck, and her legs wrapping around his waist. 

“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said, leaning in to steal a kiss. She hummed against his lips, leaning in for a little more.

_ Pinch me, _ she wanted to say to him.  _ I must be dreaming _ , she thought. Nothing in her life had ever gone according to plan — whenever she felt herself on the up, she instantly found herself going down again. She was never able to truly keep a grasp on the good things in life. Even Orpheus — she had succumbed to fear and lost him for a time. She never expected that she would find her way home to him. 

She kept feeling like the other shoe would drop, but in this moment, looking at those soft eyes that had been to hell and back for her, she couldn’t help but give in. It seemed like the world wanted to give her some semblance of joy and who was she to deny it?

So she leaned back in and kissed him hard. She could hear loud whistles coming from the bar, could hear Persephone giggling at the two of them, before Eurydice pulled back. She ran her hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face, and smiled. 

“I can’t wait.”

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, they wouldn’t have to wait long if Persephone had her way — they would be wed before the end of summer. Eurydice didn’t care if it was just them on a Friday night in the bar — let the band play, let the lovers sway, and give her the long overdue joy of calling Orpheus her husband. That was all she needed, she said. But when Persephone brought up the fact that Eurydice could borrow a dress, her heart fluttered. She had never even considered a dress, had never considered what she’d wear. But thinking about it now, imaging the look on her poet’s face when he would see her for the first time? She couldn’t help but agree, with a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. Persephone already had ideas about which ones would only need a little altering, and which ones would match with red flowers.

Orpheus didn’t care if it was just the two of them with Hermes as their witness. All he wanted was to be able to kiss her and call her his wife. It was never about the ceremony for Orpheus — sure, he would love a party, would love to be able to shout his love for Eurydice from the rooftops to all that would listen. But it was never about that. But when Hermes told him one night, that some of the patrons wanted to know how they could help, Orpheus’ heart swelled. “They want to help?” he asked, astonished, but Hermes only laughed. “Of course they do, boy. You’ve done so much for them, they only want to repay the favour.”

 

* * *

 

The lights had been turned out at Persephone’s hours ago, but Orpheus couldn’t rest his mind. It had been her idea to follow the old tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. They were both hesitant, but listened to the goddess. Orpheus now regretted this decision. It was late now and his head was filled with fear, loud anxieties knocking around and keeping him awake. Seph had fallen asleep by now, and while Orpheus had tried to quiet his mind, tried to imagine what Eurydice would say, he still found himself pacing in the living room.

“Orpheus?” he heard from the end of hallway, and he turned on his heels to look in the direction of the voice. Persephone, wrapped in a thin dressing gown and holding a small lantern, was stood in her doorframe. Her long curls fell gently over her shoulders, and her eyes were soft and sleepy. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her like this. “What are you still doing up?”

Orpheus tried to find the words to explain to her why his mind was so loud, but all that he could conjure were tears in his eyes. She sighed and smiled softly, shutting her door behind her and walking into the living room. Orpheus stood still, unable to move or speak, as silent tears fell down his cheeks. Persephone set the lantern on the table and turned to the young boy, reaching up to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“What’s happening in that head of yours, huh?” she asked softly, and he took a deep breath. When she dropped her hands and took one of his in hers and led him to the couch. She sat, but he couldn’t.

“I just… what if it’s another trick, Persephone? What if I get there tomorrow and she’s been taken away? What if this is really just Hades biding his time before he gets revenge?” Persephone flinched at the mention of her husband’s name. He wasn’t wrong to be afraid of the man, but the implication did sting.

“What if this is just a cruel joke from the Gods, Persephone? What if they take her away from me, and this was all just a revenge plot?” Orpheus looked over and caught Persephone’s eyes, and she was shocked by how wild they were. She was expecting to see confusion, conflict in his eyes. But instead all she saw was doubt.

“Oh, Orpheus,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. He would drive himself mad with his feelings of inadequacy. 

“Why would they let us win?” he asked quietly, not breaking eye contact with the goddess. “When all we’ve done is mock their rules and disregard their limits? Why would they let us win?”

“Orpheus, what is this really about?” She said, slicing through his words and poking at his heart. He recoiled a little, but she stood and walked over to him, continuing.

“You’ve faced doubt before and overcome it. You’ve looked my husband in the eyes and told him ‘no’. You’ve proved yourself a mighty force, and down here,” she said, pressing a knuckle against his heart, “you know that the gods are doing nothing  but smiling down on you. So what is it that’s got you all tied up in knots?”

A fresh wave of tears came to his eyes. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “What if she’s not there tomorrow? What if Hades, or Atropos and her sisters, or someone else decides to collect what is owed? What if she realises that she’d made a mistake? What if this doesn’t last? ”

Persephone’s shoulders dropped at that.  _ Of course _ . “Orpheus.”

“Don’t ‘ _ Orpheus’ _ me. What if it doesn’t?” His eyes had the ferocity that she had only ever seen on Eurydice — he had driven himself mad with fear, driven himself feral. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he realised what he had done, realized that he had lost his temper.

Persephone didn’t move to answer him, and so his outburst saturated the room around them, his questions hung in the air. His eyes were red, his chest heaving through his hard breathing. She watched as the fear in his eyes turned to sadness, and his breathing calmed slightly.

“Orpheus, sit down.” Something in his head clicked and he realised that he needed to listen to her. He didn’t mean to lash out at her, didn’t mean to direct his fear her way. He walked over to the couch where she perched and sat down beside her.

She took his hand in her own, and squeezed it, trying to focus his attention on her. “Nothing’s going to happen. Nothing is going to go wrong. Eurydice loves you so much,” she said, wiping tears away from the boy’s eyes. “She loves you with everything she has — and she will fight through hell or high water to be there tomorrow. She wants this just as much as you do.”

Orpheus closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath. He knew that Persephone was right, but the longer he thought about it the less sense it made. He didn’t know how he had been so lucky to have found her. How he had been so lucky to have her for so long.

“I once heard my husband say that ‘nothing makes a man so bold, as a woman’s smile and a hand to hold,’ and he’s right,” she said, laughing softly, reaching over to lift Orpheus’ chin. His eyes had calmed, like she was looking at the aftermath of a storm. There was no more lightning or thunder in those irises, just puddles. “You’re your best self when she’s by your side. But you’ve gotta know by now, she’s always with you. She’s always gonna be right here.”

Persephone punctuated her statement by pressing her fingertips to his heart. When she dropped her hand, he placed his hand over where her fingers had been, clenching his shirt in his hands. He smiled softly, and nodded. 

“Do you trust her?”

Without taking a moment to consider, he answered: “With all my heart.”

She smiled and nodded. “Then you’re gonna be just fine.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, and she smiled at him. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Orpheus — for the boy who brought her husband back to life, and who she had essentially adopted. He had done so much, and his anxieties, his fears of not being enough, only spoke to his humility and his capacity for love. 

She leaned over and kissed his brow, brushing his hair back. “Happy to talk. Now,” she said and pointed at the bed she had made up on the couch. “You’ve got a pretty big day tomorrow. You might want to get some rest.”

He chuckled and nodded, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. The tears hadn’t stopped yet, but she knew that he needed to get them out. This would be the moment when Eurydice would wrap her arms around him and let him release it all — let him sob and sweat out all the feelings that had been built up and kept inside. But she couldn’t be that, couldn’t be there for him in the ways that Eurydice could be, so instead, she pulled a chair up next to the couch and sat down, pulling her feet up under her. “I’ll be right here until you fall asleep, aight?” He nodded and laid his head down on the soft pillow she had given him. 

She could see his hands twitching where they rested near his chest, so she reached out and took hold of one, squeezing it. He sighed softly and squeezed back. He didn’t need to say anything — probably couldn’t if he tried — but he trusted Persephone. He trusted her word, and if she said things were going to be alright, he needed to have faith. 

So he shut his eyes, and thought of Eurydice. Thought of his wife.

 

* * *

 

Across town, in another house, another god slept while another mortal paced.

Eurydice worried back and forth around their space, which felt so empty without her poet. It felt too quiet without his music, or the sound of him tapping out melodies on table tops and the back of chairs. It felt too cold without him, like he was her own personal summer and without him things started to fall apart. 

She felt too big for her skin, like she was suffocating inside her body. Her teeth were clenching, and her heart was racing, and she was on the verge of just packing up and heading to Persephone’s, screw tradition. She  _ needed _ him, and she needed him now. He knew how to ground her, knew how to keep her feet planted. 

“Eurydice?”

Her head snapped up and she saw Hermes standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, Hermes. Was I keeping you awake?” He chuckled and shook his head, walking in and perching on the edge of the bed.

“Not at all, girl. I’m just wondering why  _ you’re _ awake.”

She half smiled and hummed to herself, knowing that there was no way she would be able to escape this conversation. She sat herself on the edge of the bed, her knee bouncing.

“I just have a lot on my mind tonight.”

He walked over to her and sat down beside her. “Thinking about tomorrow?” She simply nodded.

“Thinking about your boy?” She smiled when he called Orpheus hers. The closer the event became, the more excited she became about being able to claim him as her own, and to let herself be claimed by him, in front of their peers. But that was exactly what was keeping her from sleeping.

Hermes could tell that he had struck upon the sore nerve. “What’s going on up there?” he asked, tapping her temple.

It was a moment before she responded. “He’s  _ good _ , Mister Hermes. He’s good to his core, and I just… I don’t get it. Why me? When he could have anyone, someone who would be better for him—”

“Do you trust that boy?” Hermes asked, cutting her off. She stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words.

“I trust him with every fiber of my being,” she concluded, looking Hermes directly in the eyes, not an ounce of fear in sight.

“Then why do you question his choices?”

This quieted her. 

“It’s me I don’t trust,” she whispered. “What if I ruin him?”

Hermes laughed. Eurydice looked up at him, hurt radiating from her. She was opening herself up to the person who knows Orpheus best in the world, and he was laughing at her? 

“Oh, Eurydice. I’ve known that boy for a long time,” he said, placing his hand on top of hers. She held onto him and he placed his other hand on top of their clasped hands. “I’ve known him his whole life — his mama was a friend of mine. And he’s never better than when he’s by your side. He’s stronger. He’s happier. Never doubt that you make him better.”

Tears were slowly building up in her eyes at this point, and her face cracked into a smile. She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, allowing all of the tension that had built up to be let out. And as she allowed fears and panic to seep out, sleep crept in. She yawned and Hermes smiled, shifting so that he could stand up. 

“Into bed with you, now. Get some sleep. You’ll see your poet soon enough.”

 

* * *

 

Persephone had outdone herself. Well, everyone had if they were going to be honest. The goddess had turned their wedding into a community event. They had set up the event in one of the back corners of Demeter’s gardens, past the rows of crops, and under the drooping branches of the willow trees. She had strung up lanterns in the trees, which would no doubt be lit come nightfall, and there were red petals all over the grassy space. Instead of an aisle, there were simply a few round tables, probably rolled over from the bar, with chairs around them to accommodate their guests. 

The first thing Orpheus notice when Persephone walked him through the tables of their friends was that everyone had arrived in their cleanest clothes. They had all brought whatever they could to place on the long table that held more food than Orpheus was used to seeing at once. Vegetables from Tim’s farm, peach preserves from Afra and John’s pantry, a couple bottles of Kimberley’s moonshine.

“All of this is for us?” He asked, his voice small, as he stood with Persephone in front of all their friends. Persephone only laughed and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“All for you and your Songbird,” she said, pulling back. “Everyone can’t wait to celebrate you two. So, you almost ready?”

Orpheus’ face broke open into a grin. He knew that Eurydice was around here somewhere, waiting for him to get into place. He wanted to see her, to hold her hands, to kiss her in front of everyone and shout to the world that  _ this is my wife! _

“I’ve been ready for this since the first day I met her,” He said and Persephone chuckled, pulling him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

“Thank you. For everything, Seph.”

She felt tears welling up in her eyes at the sincerity in his voice. This was the same boy she had found beaten and broken in Hadestown, the same poet who used to toast to her when she arrived back up top every year. His song brought her husband home to her, and brought the world back to life. She had essentially adopted the boy, and alongside Hermes, she knew that there would always be people to take care of him. 

“I’m so proud of you,” she said earnestly, her heart caught in her throat. “You’ve been through so much and kept your head up through it all. You’ve been handed crappy chips, and I’m just. I’m so proud of you, Orpheus.” 

He squeezed her again and pulled back, smiling at her with that big smile of his that hid nothing. “Thank you,” he whispered, trying desperately to, in those two words, convey how truly thankful he was. 

He was broken out of his moment with the goddess when he heard the small band start playing. Marika and Dana, two regulars at the bar that were never far from their instruments, had no food to spare, but brought their music, prepared to give the poet a break and play for him instead.

He turned to face the direction he knew that she would be coming from, and closed his eyes, bracing himself in anticipation for what awaited him at the end of their makeshift aisle. 

When he heard the band start, he opened his eyes, and for a brief moment he felt as though the ground was going to fall out from under him. Without thinking, he reached out to grab Persephone’s hand, who held his tightly and squeezed. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, and he never wanted to.

Her arm was looped through Hermes’, and in her hand was a small bouquet of red carnations, matching the ones that had been weaved through her hair. She was barefoot as she walked down the aisle, surrounded by all of all their friends and neighbours. She was wearing one of Persephone’s old dresses, a light yellow dress that wrapped in front and floated down until her mid-calf. She looked like sunshine incarnate, the way the yellow made her skin look warm and the red made her cheeks look flushed. Her eyes were on his, and once they locked eyes, it was over for him. 

She walked slowly towards him, and as she got closer, he wanted nothing more than to start towards her, sweep her into his arms and kiss her, claiming her as his wife right away. But he was frozen in place. She smiled at him warmly as the music played, as Hermes led her closer and closer until she was stood in front of him. 

Hermes took her hand in one of his, and took Orpheus’ in his other hand and squeezed them both. Then he placed her hand in his and Orpheus felt his heart click into place. He felt the ground settle into place under his feet, the world correct itself on its axis. She reached for his other hand and squeezed them.

“Hi,” she whispered, finding solace and comfort in the starry look in his eyes.

“Hi,” he whispered back. Her cheeks were shimmering with bronze light, and her short hair looked soft. Their flowers had been weaved into her hair, bright and red against the dark curls. 

“Alright?” Hermes called out to the guests as he stepped up, and they repeated it back to him, joyously and with laughter.

Hermes turned to Persephone who was stood at his right. “Alright?” he asked her and she nodded, her eyes not leaving the lovers. 

“Alright,” she responded sweetly. Hermes then turned to the lovers stood in front of him. He looked them over, the two creatures close to vibrating in anticipation for what they knew was to come, and felt his immortal heart swell.

“Alright?” Hermes asked them. At the same time that Eurydice squeezed Orpheus’ hand, he squeezed hers. They smiled at one another before both turning to look at Hermes.

“Alright,” they said in unison, and Hermes smiled at them. He nodded and clapped his hands together. 

“Then let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

In the way that Hermes did, he commanded attention from the audience. He spoke about the nature of love, the importance of choosing people, and other things that if we’re being honest, Orpheus and Eurydice didn’t hear much of. They were too busy just  _ looking _ at one another. They couldn’t peel their eyes away, and their clasped hands in front of them never faltered.

“You have chosen one another,” Hermes said. “In the face of fear and doubt and the unknown, you have chosen to walk through this life together. And now, as you step into this new chapter in your lives, you have the opportunity to make a vow to one another. Orpheus?” Hermes turned to the poet. “Would you begin?”

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Orpheus said, his voice soft, his eyes only for Eurydice. He spoke as if there was a direct line from his heart to his lips, so open and ready to profess his love. “Since the moment I met you, Eurydice, I’ve wanted nothing but to be by your side. But to do what I can to make you happy. To make you smile.” She was smiling at him now. She was wrapped around his fingers, and he around hers, so taken by him and his words that nothing else mattered.

“We’ve found ourselves in tough places,” he said, without needing to elaborate. “But we always find our way home to each other. And I—”

He took a breath, steeling himself, swallowing back the rush of warmth in his chest and finding comfort in her eyes, and in the little nod she gave him that urged him onwards. “I can’t promise you that we won’t face tough roads ahead. I can’t give you that. But I can promise you this — I will always be here. I will always love you with everything that I am.”

He dropped one of her hands and reached into his pocket, and produced a thin ring. Her mouth fell open slightly as he took her hand back in his. His hands were shaking a little as he went to slide the shining loop on her hand.

“I know that I will mess up. I know that I will make mistakes. But with this ring,” he said, smiling at her through gentle tears that were just beginning to pool in his eyes, “I promise you that I will always be here. I will be here to hold you, and comfort you, and be by your side through everything. I will walk with you, Eurydice, my _love,_ any way the wind blows.”

She looked down at the ring. It was three thin guitar strings, twisting around one another. It fit her finger perfectly, and as soon as it was there, she felt like it had somehow been missing. As if she was always supposed to have it on her hand, and it wasn’t new, it had just returned to its rightful place.

“Orpheus…” she said, biting back tears that had already come to her eyes. She laced their fingers together and squeezed his hand. “It’s beautiful… but I didn’t get you anything.”

“You’re here,” he whispered, running one of his fingers over the ring that now lived on her left hand. “That’s more than enough.”

Before she had a chance to respond, Hermes spoke up. “Eurydice? You have have something to say?”

She nodded and cleared her throat softly, looking up at Orpheus. “I didn’t know people like you existed,” she began, feeling something swell in her chest, feeling tears in her eyes. “I had never met someone who led with kindness and love. I’m not a poet like you, I’m not great with words.” he chuckled and squeezed her hands, urging her to continue. “But I don’t need any fancy words to say this: I love you. So much. And I want nothing more than to have you with me, by my side, for the rest of my life.”

It took everything in him not to drop her hands and wrap his arms around her, pull her close to him and kiss her. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t need fancy words or rings. He didn’t need anything besides her. He wanted her midnights, and her bad days and her good days. Orpheus needed Eurydice in all ways possible. But they weren’t finished just yet.

Persephone stepped forward to take Hermes’ spot once Eurydice had finished. In her hand, she held a long piece of fabric, She smiled at Orpheus, then at Eurydice, before addressing everyone.

“Love is power,” she said, her voice low and steady. “Love, in the times that we live in, is the only power we can control. It has the power to break things, has the power to pull things apart. Love has the power to heal. It has the power to make you feel like the strongest person alive.”

Orpheus and Eurydice squeezed each others hands. They knew without even looking at each other that Persephone was talking from experience. She had first hand seen the entire spectrum of love. 

“Love asks everything of us — it asks for us to be strong, and vulnerable. It asks us to celebrate it while it’s here, all while fearing it might disappear at any moment. Love brings with it the darkest nights, and the brightest mornings. As you embark on this new chapter together, remember that love is power. And you two, my sweet Orpheus, and my loving Eurydice,” she said with an awe filled smile on her face, “hold so much power.”

She turned to face the two of them. “Orpheus and Eurydice,” she spoke their names like a prayer, as if her own inherent divinity was blessing their names. “You have crossed realms. You have faced death, faced trials, and your love has only grown stronger.  And now you stand here, in front of friends. In front of family. In front of the Gods. Do you seek to enter this ceremony?”

They looked away from Persephone and into each others eyes, and in unison spoke: “We do.”

Persephone took their hand in hers for a minute, before draping the long piece of fabric over their hands. It had taken some scheming to get, but she and Hermes had found their bandanas, her yellow one and his red one, that they had worn the day the met. Now, tied together, they would be handfast with them — a symbol of their ability to endure.

“Will you share in each other’s pain, and seek to heal it?”

“We will.”

Persephone wrapped the ends around, tying the first knot. “And so you are bound.”

“Will you share in each other’s laughter, and seek to find the brightness and joy with each other?”

“We will.”

Another knot. “And so you are bound.” 

As Persephone tied each knot, Eurydice’s senses focused, made everything around her appear hyper realistic. She could feel the knots being tied around her hands, could feel Orpheus’ palms strong and sure in hers. She could hear Persephone’s words so viscerally, could hear the weight of them land on her shoulders. And she wanted to brace for the fear, waited for the feeling of suffocation to set it. But it never came. She was, in this moment, with her poet bound to her, and in front of the loved ones they had worked so hard to keep, totally fearless.

Persephone continued on: “Will you share in each other’s anger, and promise to only grow from it?”

“We will.”

Another knot. Orpheus’ smile kept getting wider, the longer they were bound.

“Will you share in each other’s dreams?”

“We will.”

“Will you share in each other’s love?”

“We will.”

“Will you honour each other as equals?” Persephone said this with weight, and Orpheus squeezed Eurydice’s fingers. His eyes softened and hers did too, as they spoke together.

“We will.”

“And so you are bound.”

Persephone tied the final knot around their hands, and it took everything Orpheus had to stand still, to let Persephone finish. All he wanted was to pull their bound hands up to his chest and kiss her.

“Orpheus,” Persephone spoke, looking to the poet. “Eurydice,” she turned to the young girl. As she spoke, her voice felt powerful. Persephone very rarely called on her godly power, on the divinity that she had at the tips of her fingertips. But as she blessed the lovers, they squeezed their hands together as they felt the gravity of this moment settle around them.

“As your hands are bound together now, so are your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. By the Gods, your hands are blessed. May they always hold each other. May they have the strength to hang on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. May they remain tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. May these hands be healer, protector, shelter, and guide for each other.”

As she spoke, Orpheus found Eurydice’s gaze and grinned, mouthed a quick  _ I love you.  _ She smiled at him, mouthed back at him  _ I love you too.  _ When Persephone finished, she took the bandanas in hand, loosened them enough that while the knots stayed in tact, the two could  to slide their hands out. They quickly found each others grasp once again, and the goddess smiled upon the two. 

“Orpheus? Eurydice? On behalf of all those present, on behalf of the Gods that have blessed your union, and by the strength of your own love, I pronounce you married.” Persephone then dropped the poised look she had donned for the ceremony, and gave them what could only be classified as a wicked grin. She looked at Orpheus and jerked her head towards the Songbird.

“Go on. Kiss her.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. 

Orpheus, in record speed, wrapped his arms around her waist as she reached up to cup his cheeks. And they kissed. They found each others lips like clockwork, like it was the easiest thing they had ever had to do. Her hands on his face, his hands on her back, Eurydice had never felt safer than she had in this kiss.

She could feel him smile against her lips only seconds before she could feel herself being dipped backwards. She vaguely registered the loud sounds of cheering from their audience, but she couldn’t care. She had never thought that she would ever find a place to settle, let alone find someone to love and to love her. So she kissed him back as hard as she could. She had him now — he was hers. And she felt her Orpheus, her  _ husband _ tighten his grip on her and pull her upright.

When they broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his. He smiled at her and shook his head. 

“I love you, my husband,” she said, and his eyes melted at the words. She could feel him surge forward as he kissed her again to the sound of more cheering in the background.

“I love you, my wife.”

 

* * *

 

The ceremony was over, and everyone worked to clear some space for the musicians and dancing. Khalia and Ahmed helped carry tables, while other guests helped Demeter carry in more food. She had arrived after the ceremony had concluded, not wanting to linger. Unlike her daughter, she preferred to stay out of mortal affairs. But she couldn’t let a party happen in her garden and not let the guests be well fed. There were baskets with small loaves of bread, and plates of fruit tarts, alongside a small cake, covered in soft white frosting and fresh berries. None of the guests had ever seen food this decadent in years.

Once the space was cleared, the rest of the musicians grabbed their instruments and set up. Orpheus had tried to bring his lyre, wanted to be able to sing and play for the crowd, but Persephone had brushed that idea away. “This is your day,” she reminded him. “Let them play for you.”

And play they did. And as the music started, a slow ascending of strings as Eurydice took Orpheus hand and let him out into the centre of their friends. The group formed a circle around them, as Eurydice slid an arm around his neck and he slid an arm around her waist. Their clasped hands held strongly to each other as they began to sway. He leant down, pressed his forehead against hers and smiled at her.

“Hi,” Orpheus whispered to her.

“Hi there,” she whispered back, smiling at him. “We did it.”

“We did it,” Orpheus smiled and nodded at her. “ _ Gods, _ you look so beautiful.”

She blushed at his compliment, and rested her head against his chest. When Persephone had pulled this dress out of a trunk that had been stashed away, Eurydice knew that it was the one. There was something about it — the way the yellow reminded her of the warm sun, the fabric softer than anything she had ever felt before.

“I can’t believe you’re mine,” he whispered into her hair. “My beautiful wife.” She tightened her grip on him as he kept them swaying, allowing the music to take them both away.

“I’ve always been yours, my husband,” she said, still not convinced that those words were hers, that she was able to claim him like this. “I’ve got you for good. No turning back now.”

He nudged her head with his own until she looked up at him. “You’ve got me. I’m all yours.”

As the music ended, his lips found hers and they kissed again. It was soft at first, tentative, as they tested the boundaries. But Orpheus could feel Eurydice smiling against his lips, and so he wrapped his arms around her tight and spun them again, lifting her in the air. She pulled back from the kiss, laughing loudly with the other guests. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun her, holding him close. A lifetime of this was what she had signed up for, and if even only half of the days made her as half happy as this one did, she would be grateful.

 

* * *

 

The lovers had danced themselves into the ground, and had retreated to one of the tables. Kimberly had brought them each slices of cake, before grabbing Tim’s hands and pulling him out onto the dance floor, her small frame against his tall silhouette earning smiles from the couple. Orpheus sat and pulled Eurydice onto his lap, where she happily sat, leaning against his chest. They took turns feeding each other bites of cake. After the first bite, Eurydice attempted to inhale the sweet treat, but Orpheus told her to savour it, to take it slowly. It wasn’t every day they would get married, and it wasn’t everyday that the gods would bake for them.

They ate and watched their friends dancing. Persephone was perched on a table beside some of the musicians, shoulder dancing along with the music. Afra held John’s hands in hers, and kept trying to coax him to stop looking at his feet. She had been teaching him to dance, and while he was a lousy dancer, she still thought he was a great partner. 

They had a quiet moment alone, which was only broken when Hermes had walked up to the couple.

“Lady Poet,” he addressed Eurydice with a flourish of his hand, earning a laugh from her. “Would you care to dance?”

She stood from Orpheus’ lap, turning to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Catch you later, love,” she said as she took Hermes’ hand and let him lead her away. Hermes’ took Eurydice’s hand in his, and it gave the poet a sense of pride, seeing his wife and his guardian dancing together. 

Orpheus had never felt happier than he did in this moment. He felt like a king, surveying the beautiful kingdom that he was so lucky to be part of — his family, his friends. All fed and happy and joyously celebrating the love that he felt for Eurydice. 

As he watched the dancers on the floor, he caught something out of the corner of his eye — or, not a something but a someone. He could see a small, slinking figure creeping along the perimeter of their party, and ice shot through his veins.  _ Lachesis _ , he thought, the Allotter. 

Orpheus’ face dropped, fear coming to take over his body in a way that he didn’t know how to process. One minute she was in his line of sight and the next, she had vanished.  _ Where’s Eurydice _ , he thought, and he turned back to see her still dancing with Hermes, completely unaware of the situation. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He wouldn’t. He was so scared to move, scared that at any moment, she would be ripped away from him, or he away from her. Then he felt a cool presence at his back and knew she was there, was looking towards his wife. 

“Please go,” he begged in a broken voice. “Just give us today,  _ please  _ just give us today.”

“Oh, poor boy, do not fret, we fates have plans to lay," the Fate replied, her voice slippery. "We've bones to pick, songs to sing. But only I am here today.”

“What…? I-I-I don’t understand…” He hadn’t moved an inch. He was taking stock, trying to remember Eurydice in this moment — with her dark hair and those red flowers. In her dress like sunshine and the stars in her eyes. If this was the last he would ever see of her, he wanted to remember it.

“You look to her,” Lachesis continued, “that wife of yours, like you’re simply awaiting doom. But rest your mind, as poet I have a message for the groom.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Fates decide when to give you life, we choose the way you go, but how long you get between to live is something only we know.”

“ _ Please don’t do this, _ ” he pleaded, tears coming to his eyes.  _ Eurydice _ , he thought.  _ My love, I’m sorry. _

“Boy, both death and life we control. Joy  _ and _ fear we three command.” Were he looking at the Fate, he would see that she was looking at his wife with a gentle smile. “And we bless you, poet and your wife, a long life, side by side and hand in hand.”

“What?” he choked out, still not taking his gaze off Eurydice and Hermes, happily dancing and laughing.

Orpheus felt a cold hand on his shoulder, but when the voice spoke, it held within it a deep warmth. “There will be roads to walk, in the years to come, and mighty storms to weather. But know that the next time that we meet, you two will walk together.”

And just as soon as she appeared, she was gone. He felt a slight chill as she disappeared, and he took in a deep breath. They were okay, he kept repeating, his eyes still not leaving Eurydice. 

As he regained his breath, and as he tried to calm his beating heart, he put his head in his hands, closing his eyes. He replayed Lachesis’ words in his head over and over again. Time. They had been blessed with time. The one thing they had fought had been given to them on their wedding day.

The Fates were inevitable, as was death. But Orpheus and Eurydice had seen the underworld and the man who ran it, and they had seen the handiwork of the Fates up close. What Orpheus had never considered for himself was a kind of death that felt purposeful. A death that came at the end of a long life, one that said  _ I’d like to rest, now _ .

But the Fates knew of life and death, and had blessed them with time. And Orpheus could cry, knowing that he and Eurydice had been given what they had always assumed would be impossible. 

“Orpheus?” He heard, and when he looked up he saw Eurydice making her way over to him, a look of concern on her face, urgency in her voice. He sat up, and she came and put her hands on his cheek. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

He leaned into her touch and pressed a kiss to the heel of her hand. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said, feeling so relieved that he was telling the truth.

She didn’t look convinced, and her worry continued to grow. She sat down on his lap, and his arms wrapped around her waist unconsciously. She could feel him shaking a little, could still see the hitch in his breath.

“Orpheus, what happened? Talk to me.” He knew she would find out, and he didn’t want to keep secrets. But he didn’t want her to worry. The conflict inside of him, the want to explain everything Lachesis said and the fear that Eurydice would retreat inside of her fear battled, but he ultimately knew that she had to know.

“Lachesis was here,” he said softly, and he watched her eyes steel over. He saw her jaw clench and her walls go up. 

“Hey,” he squeezed her waist, rubbing small circles on her back. “Hey, Eurydice it’s okay. She had a message for me — for us.”

Eurydice, not fully believing his comforting words, holding onto him a little tighter, shook her head. “Where is she now? What did she have to say?”

Orpheus smiled and kissed the palm of her hand, which still held onto him softly. “The Allotter came to say that…” he took a breath and looked deep into her eyes. “She came to say that we have time.”

She was taken aback at his words. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t this. “She said  _ what _ ?”

“I know,” he said, trying to keep his excitement contained. “‘A long life, side by side and hand in hand’, those were her exact words.”

Eurydice looked at Orpheus, at the sheer joy radiating from him. And she let her walls down. She let, just for a moment, the words of the Fate settle in her heart, and she was overwhelmed. She smiled tentatively at him. 

“Really?” she whispered, fear and a reckless hope in her voice, and was met with an excited nod from her husband. “Side by side?”

“And hand in hand, my love,” Orpheus said, leaning in to kiss her. She kissed him back, allowing herself, against every gut instinct she had, to believe it. To believe that they would have a long road ahead of them. It came to her then, that ignoring that pull in her gut was getting easier. There was something stronger that had started to replace it. She trusted her poet more than she ever trusted herself, and she knew that it was because she needed him . She needed him more than she needed food or shelter.

If she wasn’t careful, she’d start crying, so she pulled back from their kiss and stood up.

“Come on, Poet,” she said, taking his hands and pulling him up. “We’ve got a whole life ahead of us. Let’s dance.”

 

* * *

 

The wedding of Orpheus and Eurydice, of the Poet and the Songbird, was not an event that would be forgotten. By the end of the night, the food had been eaten, and everything left over, Persephone had helped divide into little parcels so that everyone would have something to eat the next morning. The lanterns in the trees cast the dance floor in a warm glow, but the musicians had taken their leave, kissed the couple goodbye after hours of playing.

The guests had also taken their leave, eating finding their own moments to get away. Jessie and Ahmed, their arms wrapped around each other, had stumbled away while promising to get the other home safely. Tim had been the first to leave — he had to be up early the next morning to work the crops. Soon after, Kimberly departed, as did John and Afra, leaving hand in hand which made the newly weds catch each other’s eyes knowingly. 

Hermes had left late in the night, had messages to deliver to gods that didn’t like waiting. He didn’t say goodbye though — he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the couple as they swayed together to the music, her head on his chest, his chin on the top of her head. He watched them for a moment, though, before heading out. Persephone snuck up beside him, linked her arm through his.

“Did he panic last night?” Hermes asked quietly.

“Oh you know he did,” Persephone said with a smile. “What about her?”

“For sure, sister.”

“Are they ever not going to panic when they’re apart?” Persephone asked, leaning her head against his. He leaned into her and chucked.

“When they stop worrying, it’ll be time for us to start.” She laughed softly, and he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before leaving.

When the lovers left, they looked to be tired and happy to their bones. Orpheus’ smile looked etched onto his face, and Eurydice’s shoulders had never been more relaxed. They hardly let each other go, and when they did, it was only briefly -- a quick dance with a guest, a moment to sneak another bite of something sweet. But as the night wore on, and they let their highs ride out, Eurydice wanted nothing more than to have her husband unwrap her dress, pull the flowers from her hair, and tuck her into their bed. She wanted to feel him, soft and steady, below her palms as they drifted off to sleep. 

As they danced together one last time, with no music, and completely unaware that Persephone was watching from a table nearby, Orpheus could feel sleep seeping into Eurydice’s bones. 

“‘Rydice?” he said to her, and she looked up at him, her eyes tired and happy.

“Mmhmm?” she hummed.

“Ready to go home?” She didn’t respond, only nodded against him as he reached down and hooked his hands beneath her knees. When he lifted her up, she relaxed into his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck. 

“Thank you,” she murmured, and he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead in response. 

Orpheus carried his songbird home, walking through Demeter’s gardens, and along the road they had walked so many times before. As he walked, he could feel her dozing off against his chest, could feel her breathing slow.

When they arrived at their little cottage, the only home they had ever known, he carried her across the threshold, and laid her down on their bed. She was awake, but only barely, as he leaned in to kiss her softly, shaking fingers untying the knot at her waist. She smiled against his lips as he pulled her dress off of her, a sweet innocence in his touch.

She pushed his suspenders off his shoulders, and pulled his shirt over his head. She ran her fingers across his collarbone, along his shoulders, and down his arms. It felt like she was touching him for the first time. Maybe it was. Maybe they were entirely new people now, ready to fall in love over and over again.

They had the rest of their lives ahead of them, but on this, the night of their wedding, Orpheus pulled the blankets back and slipped into bed beside his wife. And Eurydice, fighting sleep, wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. And the last thing she saw before sleep claimed her body, was her left hand on his chest, her ring catching the moonlight as his chest rose and fell beneath her touch. 

Tomorrow, their lives started anew.

But tonight? Tonight, wrapped up in each other, and grateful that they knew the sun would rise, and the morning would come, Orpheus held his wife, and Eurydice held her husband. And they slept.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Come scream with me about Orphydice on tumblr @IveGotAHeadlineForYou
> 
> ily <3


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